Executives and Board
Catherine D'Amato
A tireless advocate for the hungry for more than 40 years, Catherine D’Amato assumed the leadership of GBFB in 1995. During her tenure, she transformed GBFB into a $180 million charitable business and increased GBFB’s distribution from 7.5 million meals a year to over 90 million healthy meals per year. She has grown GBFB’s network to include 600 partner food pantries, meal programs and direct distribution sites across the 190 cities and towns in Eastern Massachusetts.
Under D’Amato’s guidance, GBFB was able to rise to the challenge of an unprecedented surge in hunger brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent affordability crisis that continues today with 1 in 3 people experiencing food insecurity here in Massachusetts according to GBFB’s research.
Pranita Amarasinghe
Pranita Amarasinghe joined the Greater Boston Food Bank as Chief Financial Officer in December of 2019. She is responsible for Finance, Accounting and Risk.
Prior to joining GBFB, Pranita was the Chief Operating Officer at Boston Senior Home Care (BSHC). In addition, Pranita has worked in senior positions at several non-profit organizations including Central Boston Elder Services (CBES), Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), New England Organ Bank (NEOB) and the Mentor Network. Her major accomplishments in these positions include creating new programs to move tenants out of public housing at CHA, establishing new fiscal policies and procedures at NEOB and streamlining processes and creating efficiencies.
Pranita is a seasoned financial professional with over 30 years of experience with both non-profit and for-profit organizations. Her expertise includes budgeting & forecasting, management reporting, international financial reporting, multi-national audits, cash management, staff supervision, IT management and contract negotiations. For-profit experience includes the multi-national retailer, Gap, Inc. At Gap, she managed $2 billion in fixed assets through consolidation of multi-national accounts. Pranita received her financial training at Ernst & Young (E&Y). She earned both an MBA, and a BS in Business Administration, from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. She is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in California and member of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs.
O'Neil A.S. Outar
O’Neil A.S. Outar is the Chief Advancement Officer at The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), overseeing communications, fundraising, marketing, and public affairs.
Prior to joining GBFB, O’Neil spent 30 years in senior fundraising and engagement management roles at Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, the University of Alberta, MIT, and Tufts University. Among his accomplishments, he has led or played leadership roles in campaigns ranging from $9 billion to $500 million and established the fundraising framework for signature programs in cancer research, energy, global partnerships, graduate education, and student leadership development.
Currently a Special Adviser to The Guyana Foundation, a member of the Advisory Board for the Harvard Data Sciences Review, and an Advisor to Project Citizenship, O’Neil was a past member of the Board of Directors for Project Citizenship, trustee of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, a Commonwealth Study Conference Leader, a Ditchley Scholar, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Knowledge Advisory Group, and an MIT Leader-to-Leader Fellow. A first-generation college graduate, O’Neil was born in New Amsterdam, Guyana, and is named in honor of his father’s favorite Australian cricketer, Norman O’Neill. He was educated in Brooklyn (N.Y.), New Hampshire, and Massachusetts and holds a Master of Arts in Urban and Environmental Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts, both from Tufts University.
Michelle Donohue
Michelle Donohue is the Chief Human Resources and Administrative Officer at The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), providing expertise to the people and culture drivers of GBFB as well as supporting workforce development and strategic planning for the organization.
Michelle has over 20 years of experience working with non-profits. Prior to joining GBFB, she served as Chief Operating Officer and Senior VP of HR and Administrative Operations at a human services agency in MetroWest Boston. She was responsible for the oversight and coordination of operational functions and strategic initiatives for the organization. Michelle’s role also encompassed the oversight of the merger and integration planning of three organizations that are now called Advocates. Michelle has also worked in the healthcare sector in human resources management roles at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Michelle is currently a member of the community Board of Advisors for the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health (MAMH) and has taught courses in organizational development at Emmanuel College. Michelle holds a master’s degree in human resources management from Emmanuel College and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Boston College. She is certified as a Senior Human Resources Professional through the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM-SCP).